Rise of the Primordial Dragon beast tamer-Chapter 25: Saving a damsel in distress? Cliché Bullsh*t !!!

Azvoid stepped out of his mental space, drenched in sweat despite not physically moving. His body ached from the relentless training, but the satisfaction of mastering Phantom Reflex made it worth it.

Just as he was about to warp to the White Lotus Guild, an alert flashed in his system.

Warning: Spatial Disturbance Detected Nearby.

Potential Threat Level: Low.

Azvoid groaned. "Oh, come on. I just finished training. Can't I have one peaceful morning?"

But ignoring it wasn't an option. If it was messing with spatial energy, it might affect his own warping ability.

With a flick of his fingers, space twisted around him, and in a flash, he arrived at the disturbance's location—a narrow alleyway in the city's lower district.

The scene was a mess.

Three figures, wearing ragged cloaks, surrounded a girl with flowing emerald hair. She looked annoyed more than afraid, but the thugs were clearly getting aggressive.

Azvoid sighed. "What cliché nonsense is this?"

The moment he spoke, all eyes turned to him. The girl's gaze locked onto him, her sharp emerald eyes flickering with curiosity rather than fear. The thugs, on the other hand, groaned in unison.

"Who the hell are you?" one of them spat, reaching for a rusted dagger at his waist.

Azvoid rubbed his temples. "Listen, I really don't have time for this. I just got out of an intense training session, and if I don't get some food soon, I might actually collapse. So, do me a favor—walk away, and I won't have to embarrass you in front of the lady here."

The girl crossed her arms, arching a brow. "Lady? I could have handled these losers myself, you know."

Azvoid smirked. "Oh, I don't doubt that, but they're in my way now."

One of the thugs growled. "You're dead, pretty boy!"

He lunged forward, dagger gleaming in the dim alleyway.

Azvoid tilted his head, already seeing the attack trajectory in his mind.

His body moved before the thug even registered what happened. Phantom Reflex took over, and Azvoid sidestepped effortlessly, his movements fluid like a ghost. He barely exerted any effort as he tapped the thug's wrist, disarming him instantly. The dagger clattered to the ground.

The other two rushed in.

Azvoid didn't even try to dodge this time. He simply activated Space Vector Master, and their momentum betrayed them. The moment they reached within striking range, they were flung backward as if they had slammed into an invisible wall.

The emerald-haired girl let out a low whistle. "Damn. Now that was impressive."

Azvoid yawned, stepping over the groaning thugs. "Yeah, yeah. You good?"

She smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "More than good. But you—you're Azvoid Larkson, right?"

His expression didn't change, but he was internally surprised. "And you are?"

"Call me Sylva," she said with a playful smirk. "And let's just say, I've been keeping an eye on you."

Azvoid narrowed his eyes. "That sounds... stalker-ish."

She laughed. "Relax, I'm not a creep. But I know talent when I see it. And you, Azvoid, are very interesting."

Azvoid wasn't sure if he liked that or not. But before he could question her further, a loud ding echoed in his mind.

New System Quest Unlocked!

Quest: The Mysterious Sylva

Objective: Uncover Sylva's True Identity.

Reward: ???

Azvoid sighed. "Of course."

He had a feeling things were about to get way more complicated.

Sylva grinned as if she could hear the system notification that just rang in Azvoid's mind. Her emerald eyes gleamed with mischief.

"You okay there, handsome? You kinda zoned out for a second."

Azvoid ignored the compliment, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah. Just... processing."

Sylva took a slow step forward, tilting her head slightly. "Processing what? That you just saved a mysterious and stunning woman who, by pure coincidence, knows your name and has been watching you?"

Azvoid exhaled through his nose. "You're really not helping your case here."

She laughed—a light, teasing sound that sent a shiver down his spine. Not from attraction, but from the unsettling realization that she was too calm about all of this.

He glanced down at the unconscious thugs. "These guys—were they actually after you, or were you just playing bait to see what I'd do?"

Sylva's grin widened. "What do you think?"

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Azvoid groaned. "Of course."

Before he could press her further, another system notification rang in his mind.

Quest Updated!

Objective: Sylva was testing you. She clearly knows more than she lets on. Find out why.

Additional Reward Unlocked: 200 Experience Points.

Azvoid tensed. 200 Experience Points? That was way more than he should've gotten for throwing around some street thugs. Which meant... this wasn't just some random encounter.

Sylva watched him closely, as if waiting for him to put the pieces together.

"Alright," Azvoid finally said, crossing his arms. "You've got my attention. Who the hell are you?"

Sylva smirked, stepping in closer—just within arm's reach. "That's the fun part, Azvoid. You'll have to figure it out yourself."

Before he could react, she leaned in, whispering close to his ear. "Try not to disappoint me, okay?"

Then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Azvoid's eyes widened. What the—?!

He activated Phantom Reflex, scanning the alleyway for any sign of her, but there was nothing. No shifting air, no sound, no spatial ripples. She had just... vanished.

Another system notification.

Quest Update: Sylva has disappeared. She clearly possesses abilities beyond your current understanding.

Next Objective: Continue your journey. Sylva will find you again.

Azvoid clenched his jaw, staring at the empty alley. "Great. Just great."

He had enough mysteries piling up already—the Supreme Competition, the looming threat of Zephiron, the insane training he was about to endure under Noctis...

And now this?

Noctis's voice rumbled in his mind, clearly amused. Oh? A new piece has entered the board. This should be interesting.

Azvoid sighed. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Immensely.

Azvoid shook his head and started walking. He was so going to need a drink after this.